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- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
- Madueke rescues Chelsea in draw with 10-man Forest
- Beckett's belief rewarded as Bluestocking storms to Arc glory
- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
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- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
At UN, Russia, China call out 'unilateral' sanctions
Russia, facing the threat of Western penalties over Ukraine, and China on Monday spoke out against what they called "unilateral" sanctions imposed by countries without the backing of the United Nations Security Council.
"Only Security Council sanctions are legal," said Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy. He added that such sanctions are "an important tool for reacting to global challenges."
Without mentioning Ukraine, which the West fears Russia may be planning to invade, Polyanskiy denounced "unilateral" measures that hurt peace efforts and interfere with the sovereignty of nations, such as in Syria, Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Afghanistan, Burma and Mali.
For his part, China's ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said that "coercive unilateral sanctions were a major source of concern."
Zhang added that countries initiating them get hooked up on them like "a drug" and urged them to stop them immediately.
As for sanctions that do receive the support of the UN Security Council, Zhang said they should not be applied "excessively."
Referring to UN sanctions against Beijing's ally North Korea, Zhang said they have "serious humanitarian consequences."
But Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, insisted that North Korea's dire economic situation was the country's own fault.
"The number one barrier to sending humanitarian assistance into the DPRK is the DPRK self-imposed border closures, not international sanctions," Thomas-Greenfield said.
North Korea is living under a self-imposed coronavirus blockade -- a far more comprehensive measure than any of the international sanctions it is under for its nuclear program.
Russia and China have long sought to get to ease UN sanctions on North Korea, mostly recently blocking attempts to sanction a group of North Koreans after a series of brazen missile launches by DPRK.
UN sanctions are currently in place against 14 regimes around the world, affecting countries such as Libya, Yemen, Sudan and militant groups such as Al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
A.Mahlangu--AMWN